Halkirk without its church is unthinkable, says session board
Churchgoers in Halkirk have said it would be “unthinkable” for the village to be deprived of its place of worship.
They have been told that the Church of Scotland is likely to close the 138-year-old building and are campaigning to save it – describing it as a “central pillar” of the community that is “financially secure”.
An online petition has been launched on change.org and paper versions are being circulated locally.
Halkirk and Westerdale Church Session Board has set out its concerns in a letter to the John O’Groat Journal.
It says members were initially relieved when the Church of Scotland’s draft Caithness Presbytery Plan for 2023 stated that Halkirk was not earmarked for closure.
According to the letter, at a congregational meeting last month the convener of the new Highlands and Hebrides mission planning team reported that the church was now in the “reviewable” category.
“When asked for clarification of what this would mean, we were told that our church would be closed.”
The letter puts forward a number of reasons for retaining the church.
“Our parish covers a vast rural area of the county,” it says. “We are fortunate in having a retired minister and several excellent lay preachers who use a variety of worship styles to inspire and encourage our congregation.
“In addition to the inspirational Sunday services there is an expectation within the community that our church will always be there for funerals, weddings, christenings and other special services, e.g. Harvest Thanksgiving, Remembrance Sunday, local school end-of-session service.
“The church is a beautiful building designed by the Inverness architect Alexander Ross in 1886. As well as the original stained-glass windows it features the millennium windows engraved by renowned Caithness glass artist Denis Mann.
“The size, structure and layout of the church is suited to accommodate the very large numbers of people who attend funerals and weddings from throughout the county and country. We also have smaller rooms which the community can use for meetings and social events.
“We have recently fitted a new kitchen (gifted by a member of the community), enabling us to extend our hospitality to the congregation and community.”
The letter points out that in addition to the regular tea/coffee chat sessions after Sunday services there are “warm space” sessions every second Tuesday.
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It also notes that three new members were welcomed to the session board this month.
“The community and congregation are very supportive of our church and give generously towards the food bank, Harvest Thanksgiving, PoppyScotland and gift days,” the letter says. “It is due to their generosity that Halkirk Church is financially secure.
“Halkirk village itself has a vibrant community with our church very much a central pillar. The significance of the first planned village in Scotland without a church seems unthinkable.”
Paper versions of the petition are being placed in the village post office, the Ross Institute and Halkirk Heritage and Vintage Motor Centre.
Church of Scotland HQ has been invited to comment.
There is another petition on change.org against the closure of St Fergus Church in Wick.